Beginnings and Endings
by NyxSchuyler
Summary: If you became the toughest in the world, what would you do?" A one-shot about Asura's childhood and how he may have become a monster.


Little Asura hated everyone. He hated the way people stared at him. He hated how they whispered harsh words behind his back. He hated not being _loved. _He was a pale, demon- eyed boy with no parents. He had been dropped- no... _dumped _at an orphanage where even all the other children hated him. He had... unnatural strength that he could not control. That very strength constantly got him in trouble, so he was locked in his room almost everyday.

On the occasional times when he was let out of his damp quarters, Asura always kept his distance and grew up alone. High up the staircases, the pale boy would watch as one child after another was adopted and cradled in a couple's arms. Asura felt _pain _clench at his heart and would run up to his room and cry himself to sleep. No one would ever adopt him. No one would even _acknowledge_ him.

As the years flew by, Asura found himself covering himself in layer after layer of clothing. He became frightened of touch even if it was only the gentle shift of air near his skin. He became accustomed to the seclusion and the spiteful words. The pale 12 year old _did _hear that someone was coming to see him. For what reason, he did not know, but he silently hoped that the person wouldn't come at all.

Unfortunately for young Asura, the guest _did _come and that visitor was a man. The male caught the youth's attention almost immediately. There was a bold similarity between them and it made Asura curious. The man had neck-lengthed spiky, white hair with bangs that barely showed the golden eyes beneath. His skin had a stark resemblence to his own and was nestled gently against the soft fabric of a pinstripe suit. Asura's crimson eyes wandered upwards and he spotted a silver hoop earring pierced in his earlobe along with three more studded piercings along the scapha.

His small mouth fell open. The man was, in every way... _cool. _He had an air of bewitching-ness and even the way he _walked_ was astounding. Oh... _fuck_. He was walking towards him-

"Hello, you must be Asura. You're-"

_"-A monster?" _The youth replied coldly. "I could hurt you."

The older man's lip twitched into a curved grin. "I'd like to see you try and anyway... you are _not _a monster. You are a boy. You are a boy with talent that needs help putting it to good use." Asura blinked rapidly. "What do you mean?"

The man with snowy white hair crouched down until he and Asura were face to face. "Asura, you have potential to do great things. I can see that you mean no harm to everyone. I can see it... in your soul." He tapped the small boy's chest with one knuckle. Asura looked down and held a hand over his heart, then he lifted his head and stared at the older man. "Is it _possible_?"

The male stood up to his full height and his grin broadened. "I am the most powerful Death God on the planet and you don't think... I can whip a _little kid _into shape?"

"N... no! I-"

"Then it's settled. I'll teach you to use that strength to help everyone around you."

Then the man whirled on his heel and headed out the orphanage door. Sensing no motion from the red-eyed boy, he turned his head and gestured for Asura to follow him. The little child stumbled on his feet as he ran up to the Death God. In a hesitant voice he asked, "What do I call you?"

The Death God stuffed his hands into his pocket and pondered. After a minute or two, he winked at Asura and said, "You call call me Death-_sensei_, I guess..." Then the older man stuck his tongue out childishly. "My mom named me, Thanatos but I don't think you want to call me that everyday."

Asura couldn't supress a smile at the man's childlike behavior. _Maybe, it won't be so bad..._

"Come on, kid! We have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Ye... yes, Death-sensei!"

_Yeah... maybe it won't be so bad..._

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"Alright, Asura... today, we start our first lesson."

Death twisted his body side to side- a loud cracking noise sending chills down his student's spine- before finally flopping on the grass. His arms were by his sides and his posture was slouched. Above him, Asura stood there in confusion. "Death-sensei, aren't we starting the first lesson-?"

The shinigami flickered one eyelid open and frowned. "We are."

"What? But-"

"Lie down next to me, Asura, and relax your entire body."

The pale boy did not move. The Death God continued staring at him. "What are you waiting for?"

Asura nudged the dirt with his foot and averted his teacher's gaze. Death took a minute to think until at last, it dawned on him. He sighed and pushed himself off the ground. "Oh, yeah... I was notified that you hate being near others." He spotted the embarressment written across Asura's small face and smiled. "It's alright. There's nothing wrong with that. You can lie anywhere else if you want."

The youth mumbled a soft, "Thank you," before trotting off a few feet away. He hesitantly sprawled his petite frame on the earth and stared up into the clouded blue sky. It had been almost _forever _since he was outside. Asura had almost forgotten how beautiful nature was and how clean the air was compared to the damp room he was kept in.

"Close your mind." He heard Death call from his place. "I want you to close your mind and filter all the awful thoughts out of your brain, do you understand?"

"Yes sir."

Asura squeezed his eyes shut and prepared to empty his head of all negitivity. After a few minutes, he gave up. How could he release all the angst, hatred, loneliness, and anger he had packed in all those years?

"Asura."

A squeak erupted from the boy's throat when he finally noticed that his teacher had rolled over to him and he scrambled to his feet. Death was glaring at him accusingly. "I can see that all those bad feelings are still inside you."

"I can't do it, sensei! It's... it's so hard..."

The Death God rose to his feet and to Asura's horror, pulled him into a tight embrace. The 12 year old squirmed and writhed in his grip, but the shinigami's hold did not waver. The youth's heart was beating wildly in terror at the sensation of skin on skin that had almost been forgotton after years of seclusion.

Asura's height came up to Death's abdomen and anyone from a distance would have thought they were a father and son. _If only... _Asura found himself thinking sullenly. He had finally gave in and was left standing there limply in his teacher's hug. "Asura, the first thing that you must do to gain forgiveness from everyone... is to forgive _yourself_."

"Wha-?" The little boy raised his head and Death's golden eyes met his crimson ones. The Death God's expression turned gentle. "You remind me of myself when I was young. I used to get into lots of trouble because I _also_ had a hard time controling my power. I wasn't like the other kids... I was... special."

Asura cocked an eyebrow curiously and it made Death grin sheepishly. "Unlike you, I had no one to help me, so I had to teach myself. Hell, I could go on forever telling you how damn hard it was emptying out my head." He sighed against Asura's black hair and closed his eyes. "It was just as complicated, you know. I hated my mom, my dad... and all my other siblings alike."

"So... it's actually, your entire family."

"Not really... I loved my twin, that's for sure. Hypnos and I are kind unlike everybody else in our family tree."

His student sighed in his arms and his shoulder's slumped. "At least you _have_ a family. Mine dumped me in this hellhole as soon as they had the chance."

Now it was Death's turn to give him a funny look. "Oh _really_? My parents are the Night and Darkness. My other brothers and sisters are Old Age, Suffering, Doom, Deception, Blame, Strife, Nemesis, and-my twin, whom you already know I prefer- Sleep. Now... would you want a family like _mine_?"

He chuckled at Asura's horrified expression. "I didn't think so. Do you want to try again or shall we continue venting?"

The youth stiffened and muttered, "Can you let me go first?"

"Naw, I think we should stay hugging until you promise me you'll flood your mind with only positive thoughts."

"Will you let me go if I vent instead?"

"Whatever floats your boat, though I think venting is tougher..."

And so, Asura and Death spent the next few hours talking to one another about their past and families... or... more like_ thoughts _on _a _family. Surprisingly, the young boy felt his soul lightening with the release of all his bundled grudges. Death seemed to have noticed so he released the heavily layered child. He plopped down and crossed his legs. "What have we learned?"

"Um... that having families can be a pain in the ass?"

"Besides that."

"Oh... I guess... I've learned that in order to live in a tough world, you need to _be _tough."

The Death God made a face. "You're half right, Asura. Now, tell me... if you became the toughest in the world, what would you do?"

Silence hung in the air. The older man felt the negitivity flooding back into the small boy and he frowned. _This is harder than I anticipated. I need to show him the right path or he may lose himself._

"Hey, Asura- do you like games?"

The red- eyed boy eyed the sky thoughtfully. "Yes..."

"Do you want to play a game with me?"

"... Yes..."

"Okay. The rules are simple..."

Death closed his fingers into a empty fist then reopened them to reveal a scarlet marble with an image of an eye embedded within it. "If you can get this marble from my hand something good will happen."

Asura smirked. "Isn't this like a spinoff of some crappy kung- fu movie?"

"Oh ho ho, young warrior... are you not ready for such a challenge?" Death asked in an overexaggerated- styled, asian voice. "Because I will make you... _cry for mercy_!" The white haired male punched his fists in the air and emitted a battle screech. Asura rolled his eyes, but snickered. He bowed forward and hissed, "I believe it is _you _who shall cry for mercy my... master!" He concluded with an equally corny asian accent.

And so... the two 'trained' the entire day until Asura finally caught the marble when he kicked Death in the nuts. ("_No, fair! Breaking one's testicles in battle is the lowest thing to do!" Was Death's exclaimation as he toppled over. Asura grinned triumphantly as he waved the glossy orb in the air. "I call it using your resources wisely." The Death God stuck his tongue out as he clutched his groin. "So, balls count as _resources,_ now?")_

Asura felt... happy and so free after spending time with the shinigami... but...!

The pale child watched with saddened eyes as he saw Death exit out of the orphanage. He felt the lonliness creeping back into him...

"Hey! Um... do you want to skip stones in the river?"

The lonely boy lifted his head and saw a 9 year old girl with brown pigtails gazing at him. She wore a dainty pink and yellow dress and she came up to Asura's chest. The 12 year old boy blinked and stared deep into the girl's green eyes. "What?"

The girl crossed her arms. "So you _don't _want to play with us?" She gestured to a blonde haired girl with a yellow and black dress and to a purple haired boy with what looked like screw in his head. Asura shook his head violently. "I _do_ want to play with you it's just... just that..."

"What? That you're 12 and we're younger than you?"

"I... um... no one has ever asked me to play with them... ever..."

The pigtailed girl cocked her head to the side. "Why? You look fine." Her female friend just scowled. "He's a freak, Kami. That's why no one ever plays with him."

Asura was slightly hurt by the spiteful words spat at him and he edged away. "I shouldn't..." To his shock, the green- eyed girl just yanked him by the arm out of the door. "But you will. You don't look different at all."

The boy with the screw in his head just shook his head forlornly. "Kami's lost it, Marie. Maybe Spirit has rubbed off on her."

"Shut up, Franken Stein! I'm saying that... that people need to give him a chance! It's not fair that he gets pushed away for what he looks like! I mean... we hang out with _you _don't we?"

The purple- haired boy's mouth fell open. "What-?!"

Kami merely scowled and held Asura's slightly larger hand. "Shut up, nut-head!"

"It's a screw-"

The pigtailed girl stamped her foot. "Whatever! If you don't mind, I'm going to play with... um..."

Asura noticed her confused expression and he mumbled, "Asura."

"..._Asura, _until dinner!" And with that, Kami stormed out of the orphanage with the older boy stuck in her iron grip. The pale boy was deeply frightened of Kami's temper from then on.

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_**10 years later…**_

Asura opened his eyes and gazed at the now crimson painted sky. He was sprawled in the same spot where his life started… and where it will end, of course.

The pale man rose to his feet and imagined Shinigami-sama in his younger years, standing beside him; not damaged as he left him in the Death Room. Asura remembered the warmth of his embrace, but most especially- what Death had asked him.

"_If you became the toughest in the world, what would you do?"_

The demon-eyed male lowered his eyes on the ground as he pondered. _Sensei, there were many things you were hoping for me to change. Yet, you saw the hatred, the anger, the __**loneliness **__that still resided within me. You saw this coming. You were too soft to stop it. Now, it'll be your entire fault that everyone will suffer. _

The man felt angry tears forming in his eyes. _If only you had stayed…_

And so… here began the story of the God of Insanity… and the conclusion of little Asura.

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**A/N: Yes, this was originally made by my friend, BellaNyxViolet, on DA who has given permission to post this on . (We prefer reading comments by many people.)**

**:] We both love Asura, so no flaming please! R&R! **

**(And yes- we have thought of putting Asura with Kami, deal with it!)**


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